Medicaid fulfills a Gospel Mandate

By Cynthia Gallo Callan

Cynthia Gallo Callan, is a Springfield Dominican Associate who works for the Diocese of Springfield. 

“Change is the only constant” is an expression that sometimes keeps people afloat. It has spun over the generations and is widely accepted as the norm. 

But sometimes change comes too fast and furious, and when it does, there is a metaphorical implosion, hurting the most vulnerable around us. Last week, during one of Pope Leo’s first addresses, he highlighted human dignity, especially amongst the most vulnerable. This validates my belief of why Medicaid advocacy is very important. We are all God’s children. It matters not why some of God’s children grow to thrive and be able to afford every luxury this world has to offer, and other struggle for the basic of needs. 

My firsthand experience of Medicaid was years ago when my children were young and we were covered during some difficult times. (Current stats indicate 49% of American children are on Medicaid). However, on a permanent level, Medicaid continues to cover my 43-year-old developmentally disabled son who lives at Beverly Farm, an Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) in Godfrey, Illinois. Currently, there are 260 residents on the campus where he lives. Each house is designed to meet the need of the group of men and women who live there. Those who live there are typically 21 and older, some remaining there until they die, all with a myriad of developmental and physical disabilities. Some have families; for others, their families are long gone. My son has lived there for 22 years and has benefited from the freedom it affords—within limits—which keep him safe, provide social outlets, and help him grow. 

Unfortunately, as with many ICFs, Beverly Farms’ structures are aging and updates are made at one building at a time. While fundraising and marketing is a priority; raising money is always a challenge especially as costs rise. 

For those who are not familiar, ICF’s medical guidelines fall under those of nursing homes (current stats show 63% of nursing home residents are on Medicaid), as well as non-elderly disabled (current stats show 44% of non-elderly disabled). The statistics are astonishing. With 1 in 5 Americans on Medicaid, we as God’s children should be outraged that their medical safety net is slipping away. Every human being should be entitled to medical care. 

Without Medicaid and other state aid, the more funding is removed the harder it will be to maintain even the basic quality of life for those who reside in ICFs across the country. If Medicaid is gutted, many of these vulnerable people could lose the only source of healthcare they have. 

In Mathew 25:31-46, also referenced as the Judgment of the Nations, Jesus laid out how we should respond to those around us, especially the most vulnerable. In verse 40: ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’  We all need to ask ourselves a simple question: How we are responding to the least of these amongst us during these fast-changing times we live in now?